The Super Falcons of Nigeria have secured qualification for the knockout round of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after a slim 1-0 victory over Botswana.
The Nigerian team took on The Mares of Botswana in their second Group match of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The match which took place at the Stade Larbi Zaouli in Casablanca was a typical David versus Goliath clash as the Falcons who are the highest ranked team in the tournament took on a Botswana team that is the lowest ranked team in the tournament.
Despite the star-studded line-up paraded by the Super Falcons, they failed to create many clear-cut chances as the Botswana ladies defended resolutely while hoping to catch the Falcons on the counter.
It took the Super Falcons until the 89th minute before they could break through the Botswana ladies defense as Chiwendu Ihezuo capitalized on a defensive mix-up to score the winner for the nine times African champions.
With the result, Coach Justin Madugu’s side have secured their place in the knockout round without conceding any goal and will have an opportunity to rest key players during their last group match against Algeria on Sunday.
Meanwhile, The Mares of Botswana have been eliminated from the competition but may still play a huge role in deciding who qualifies between Algeria and Tunisia.
In the other group match, Tunisia and Algeria played out a barren draw which leaves Algeria second in the group with 4 points while Tunisia sits in third with 1 point.